Bald Eagle wins duel with the state’s $ 950 drone, sending it to the bottom of Lake Michigan


In the struggle for air power, a calf eagle just proving that technology is not a match for brute strength. The giant bird recently attacked a drone, destroy and send it to the bottom of Lake Michigan.

A cold eagle in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan “launched an air strike” on a drone operated by the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) late last month, the department said Thursday. While crawling, the nobility tore the propeller off the drone, causing the device to fall 162 feet through the air and into the lake.

The “brave” eagle against EGLE collision took place while environmentalist and drone pilot of environmental Hunter King mapped song off the coast. The data is used to help communities cope with rising water levels.

When King sat down for poor satellite reception, he pressed the “Go Home” button, and remembered the drone back to him. But when it went home, it began to “crawl furiously” during its kiss with the eagle.

“It was a really bad rollercoaster ride,” King said.

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The trajectory of the drone before its fatal battle.

Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE)


When he looked up to find the drone in the sky, it was gone, and the eagling was already flying away, victorious. A close couple confirmed to King that they saw a nobleman attacking something in the air.

The three said the nobility appeared unharmed because it made his escape from the crime scene.

King and the couple searched for hours for the drone, but returned empty-handed. Several days later, EGLE Unmanned Aircraft Systems coordinator Arthur Ostaszewski brought a kayak on the search.

About 150 feet offshore, in four feet of water, Ostaszewski searched for two hours in a grid pattern, but also found nothing. It was like “I played Battleship and wanted to cover the whole board,” he said of his search.

The agency said the drone was a DJI Phantom 4 Pro Advanced, which cost $ 950.

Flight data indicate that the drone sent 27 warning messages a few seconds after the start of the fight, including one regarding the propeller that was fired. The latest message to the world indicated that it was falling at 30 feet per second before the water hit.

“The attack could have been a territorial shrinkage with the electronic enemy, or just a hungry nobility,” EGLE said. “Or maybe it did not like that the name was misspelled.”

The agency’s drone team is looking for ways to reduce recurring attacks in the future, including changing the design of the drone so that they look less than visible.

EGLE asked the state’s natural resources department to rob the eagle in some way, but the agency said it has no authority to issue a quote to individual, non-human wildlife.

“Unfortunately, there is nothing they can do,” said a spokesman for the department. “Nature is a cruel and unforgettable mistress.”


See: Trained eagle snaps drones from the …

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